KR2008 Alternate Storyline Episode 3
by SaiyaGirl1
Summary: The Knight Before Christmas: It's Christmastime and Kat has tests. She's finally reached Base2, but can she find what she needs? And is there someone out there targeting KITT? Or Katherine?
1. Chapter 1

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Story – Episode 3 – The Knight Before Christmas**

**Disclaimer: I do not own KITT or Charles Graiman, though I would give them each a hug if requested. I do own the rest of the team, but they can't compare to KITT.**

Author's Note: Finally! A title! And it's utter cheese! _ And to think I made fun of the titles for the new show...

Anyway! Everyone welcome back for Episode 3! Thank you so much for your reviews! They are very greatly appreciated. I want to hear more! I think that this story has a lot of potential, and things really start picking up with this episode, now that I got all the preliminaries out of the way.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

"Target building located." K.I.T.T informed her.

Kat studied the display. Their target was a low building with various scorch marks on the red brick surface and all the windows broken. "What's my objective?" She asked.

"Enter through the front, then meet me on the other side." K.I.T.T replied.

"Scan for any threats." Kat told him.

K.I.T.T ran scans through several different filters. "Trip wire located three feet in front of the steps." He highlighted it on his windshield. "The space under the second step is hollow as well."

"A trap door?" Kat asked incredulously. "I bet Pierce thought that one up, he needs more imagination." She opened her door. "See you around." She said, and sprinted toward the building.

She hopped lightly over the wire. It was a nearly invisible fishing line, but she was looking for it and saw it. She skipped the second step and was soon at the front door of the building. K.I.T.T left her and drove around the back.

Kat studied the old wooden door. The paint on it was faded and chipping in places. It looked like it would fall off it's hinges at any second. "What am I really looking at here?" She asked K.I.T.T.

"Nothing." K.I.T.T told her.

"That seems too easy." Kat said, reaching for the doorknob. She pulled the door open easily, revealing a blank wall. "I knew it."

"I told you it was nothing." K.I.T.T said defensively.

So now she had to decide if she was going to try and find the real door, or try her luck with one of the windows. She knew she was being timed on this, so she had to decide quickly.

The windows were all broken, jagged bits of glass still clung to the frames. She eyed the sharp edges. She wasn't going to stick her head in there and look around. So, where was the real door? "A little help here?"

"I'm not allowed to give you general help or advice during the test, Kat." K.I.T.T reminded her. "You have to ask for a specific function."

"Fine, X-Ray the wall." Kat said, looking over the wall in front of her.

K.I.T.T sent the scans to her eye-cam. There were no hidden doors in the wall. "Dammit!" Kat swore. "Do they want me to break through the wall?" K.I.T.T was silent. "I don't suppose you can come back and help me?" She asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Kat-"

"Yeah yeah, okay, I'll figure this out on my own then." Kat looked all around wildly. "There has to be something..." She spotted a metal bar attached horizontally to the wall above the fake door. She pondered it for a moment. "Scan the second floor." She said.

Suddenly she could see a large rectangular hole in the wall right above her. She jumped up and grabbed the metal bar with both hands and braced her feet against the wall. She then hauled herself up.

Her shoulder protested painfully. She had just dislocated it two days ago and was still on the mend, but she hadn't wanted to postpone the test.

She could see the doorway in front of her, because of K.I.T.T's scan, but to her normal eyes, it still looked like a sheer brick face. She reached out to touch it, only to find it had no substance. "Hologram..." She said, impressed. She climbed through.

She was now on the second floor. There were no windows on this floor, so everything was dark as pitch. Kat stood up hesitantly. "Brighten things up for me a bit?"

Her eye-cam adjusted as K.I.T.T dropped the night vision filter. She could see the interior as clear as day.

The room was completely empty, except for a massive hole in the floor just a foot in front of her. Kat's eyes widened. "Good thing I checked first." She whispered, suddenly feeling faint.

This hole was her next obstacle. Splintered wood jutted out threateningly all around it. She wouldn't be able to just jump down without scratching herself pretty badly. Or worse.

She peered over the edge. "Scan the floor below. Is it solid?"

"The only thing under it is solid earth." K.I.T.T replied. "Why?" He was starting to sound a little worried.

Kat looked around. She moved to one corner of the room, where the distance between the wall and the hole was the greatest. She had about ten feet to work with. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I can do this." She told herself.

"Do what?" K.I.T.T asked anxiously. "Kat, do what?"

But Kat wasn't paying attention to him as she took a strong running start. She pushed off of the floor hard, right at the very edge of the hole, launching herself into the air. She turned over neatly in mid-air, then straightened out, falling fluidly through the exact center of the hole in the floor, avoiding the splinters of death completely.

She bent her knees as she landed one story below, absorbing the shock of the jump. Her legs felt like that they had been turned to jelly, but she had made it. She fell back onto her rear and took a moment to catch her breath, and calm her racing heart.

"How did you do that?" K.I.T.T asked her. There was actual disbelief in his voice. A first for him.

"You saw that?" Kat asked.

"Of course, I've been watching your progress the whole time. But, how did you do that?" He asked again.

"Seven years of gymnastics?" Kat offered.

"I've never seen anyone do anything like that before." K.I.T.T told her.

"You've obviously never seen the Olympics." Kat told him.

"It was so..." He searched quickly for the right word. "Graceful." He sounded like he was trying the word out for the first time. "I would never be capable of something like that."

Kat couldn't help feeling a little flattered. "It would be a little impossible for you, wouldn't it?" She had caught her breath finally. She regained her feet and headed for the back door.

"Can you do it again?" K.I.T.T asked hopefully.

"Focus KITT, we're in the middle of a test."

"Right, my apologies."

Kat studied the door in front of her. "Is this one real?"

"Affirmative." He answered.

"Okay, then what's wrong with it? Run a scan." Kat frowned at the door. She wasn't going to be caught by any tricks at the final hour.

"The doorknob is wired to a live circuit." K.I.T.T informed her, highlighting the knob and wiring in red.

Kat unzipped her black leather vest. Velcroed to the inside was a flat square zippered all the way around. She unzipped the compartment and pulled out a small, flat pair of wire cutters. She snipped the wires attached to the door jamb and the red light on her eye-cam went out.

"Anything else?" Kat asked.

"All threats have been neutralized." K.I.T.T said. "Come on out."

Kat opened the door. K.I.T.T. was waiting for her ten feet away, Driver's door open. She slid gratefully into the seat and they drove on. "What's our next challenge?" She asked.

"Navigating on-road obstacles." K.I.T.T told her. And indeed, the road ahead of them was littered with various obstacles.

As they drove ahead, concrete walls rose high up on both sides. "So, it's 'through' then? No 'around'?" Kat asked.

"'Over' seems like an interesting option as well." K.I.T.T remarked. Kat spotted a tower of junked cars at the end of the track. But that was the last obstacle. The first was the drawbridge.

It was up of course, and not on their side. A deep pit was carved under it. "Grappling hook, of course." Kat said.

K.I.T.T fired, hooking the top of the wooden drawbridge. Kat hit reverse and the drawbridge lowered. They then drove to the other side.

Next was the oil slick. Kat knew that it probably wasn't real oil. K.I.T.T could drive through most slippery conditions. Charles would have prepared something that K.I.T.T couldn't get past easily.

Kat thought for a moment. "Clear it with the water cannon." She said.

K.I.T.T's 'water cannon' was really a small nozzle. It shot water out under very high pressure, using very little water in the process. They cleared the road and he still had half a tank left. They drove on.

Next, there were large metal bars blocking their way. That one was too easy. "We could just ram it, but use the laser." She said.

K.I.T.T's laser sliced right through the bars easily, cutting them into several pieces. He didn't even slow down as he passed though the hole he had made. The remains of the bars hit his hood and bounced off without leaving a scratch.

Then they were approaching the pile of cars. Kat floored it, her finger over the Turbo Boost button. At just the right second, she hit the button. K.I.T.T's rear boosters launched them into the air. They cleared the tower just barely. K.I.T.T landed on the other side and turned to a halt.

They were in front of another building. "The finish line is here." He told her.

"Good, we're done." Kat said in relief.

"Not quite." K.I.T.T replied.

"No, no, no. You said that the finish line was here, this building." Kat said firmly. "We're here, we're done."

"Kat, the finish line isn't down here. It's up there." He highlighted the rooftop of the building on the side window.

Kat stared up three stories. The door and windows were all boarded up and blocked. There was no fire escape, nor any ladders. She felt her stomach drop down to her feet. "Don't tell me... ejector seat?" She asked.

"A very good idea. I have wanted to test that out."

Kat gave his modulator an exasperated look. "I'm not doing it."

"Come on, you told me you used to fly all the time." K.I.T.T retorted.

"That was in a _jet_." Kat told him firmly. "I had a parachute."

"It's only three stories." K.I.T.T told her.

"_Only_?"

K.I.T.T retracted his top, letting bright daylight and frigid air flood in. He folded it easily into his trunk. He turned so he was facing the building.

"No." Kat stated, crossing her arms. "I'm not doing it. You can't make me."

"You're right, I can't make you. But you'll fail the test if you don't finish."

"So? What happens if I fail? David fires me?" Kat asked, rolling her eyes.

"No, you just have to take it again."

Kat thought for a long moment. "Okay, let's do this."

"I knew you would see things my way." K.I.T.T said smugly.

"I'm going to get you for this." Kat warned darkly. She unbuckled her seat belt.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

"Seriously, if this goes wrong. I am so haunting you. Think 'Christine'."

K.I.T.T waited silently. Kat took a few deep breaths. Her heart was trying to bash it's way out of her ribcage. She put her hands over her face and groaned loudly. Then she dropped them to her sides. "Okay, ready." She said quickly, before she could change her mind.

The seat under her bucked sharply, and she was airborne. Instinct took over and she turned in the air. She landed on the rooftop lightly.

She blinked in shock. That had been surprisingly painless. "Still alive?" K.I.T.T asked in her ear.

She checked real quick, to be sure. "Heart's still beating, surprisingly."

"I knew you could do it, when I saw that dive earlier." K.I.T.T told her.

"That was _one_ story, not _three_." Kat reminded him. She lay on her back on the rooftop. The cold December air turned her breath foggy. She sighed heavily, watching as a great cloud erupted from her mouth. "Okay, tell me how to get down from here."

"Down? What is this 'down' you speak of?" K.I.T.T asked.

"Oh, you think you're funny." Kat said sarcastically.

"Nonsense." K.I.T.T replied. "I _know_ that I am funny."

"KITT, we've talked about you developing a sense of humor." Kat warned.

"Roger that, activating 'Mindless-Drone Mode'."

The corner of Kat's mouth twitched. She heard a sound to her right and turned. A hatch opened and Charles stepped out onto the roof. He wore a long black overcoat, and a red scarf. "Would you like to come in out of the cold now? We just have the 'Question and Answer' portion of the test left."

Kat sat up. "That hardly sounds life threatening. Count me in." She followed him down into the building.

********

"You did very well on the practical course. But, reviewing your mission notes..." Charles frowned. "Can you answer me one question?"

"Sure." Kat nodded. She sat across a small table from him. He held a clipboard and pen in his hands."

"So far, you have had two missions that required surveillance, why have you not used KITT's Cloaking System?" Charles asked in confusion.

Kat stared at him blankly for a second. K.I.T.T's Cloaking system...

The thing that made him invisible. It was one of the first things she had learned about him.

"I, uhm, I forgot about his Cloaking program..." Kat mumbled, her eyes on her hands, which were fidgeting.

Charles arched a brow. He didn't say anything and just made a note on his clipboard. Kat groaned inwardly.

The test only got worse from there.

********

When they were done, Charles escorted her down into Base2 proper. She studied the corridors with great interest. Here was where she could find information she needed.

Her brother had died here.

She had to find out how he had died. If she knew that, maybe she would figure out _why_ he had died.

She memorized the general layout of the underground compound. Charles took her to a small cafeteria. They ate lunch together. Charles tried a few attempts at small talk, but Kat just couldn't pay attention. Her mind was utterly absorbed. How was she going to find the information she needed?

"Have you heard anything new from David?" Kat asked suddenly. She picked at the top of her hamburger bun. "About Sam?"

Charles didn't look surprised. He gave her a sympathetic look. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but David is doing everything he can to find out what happened."

"Is there anything new?" Kat asked.

Charles shook his head. "I'm sorry, no." Kat nodded. She had expected as much.

When they were done eating, Charles escorted her through the halls again. Kat noticed that they were going down different corridors than before.

They passed by a door that made Kat stop in her tracks. She turned slowly, looking back at it.

The door was covered entirely in clear plastic. Yellow tape crossed it.

Her heart began to pound in her chest. This was it, right here. Here was something, finally, she could feel it... She took a step toward the door.

"Are you coming?" Charles asked behind her.

She started, turning quickly. Charles was at the end of the hallway, looking back at her. She glanced back at the covered door and composed herself. "Yeah." She followed him. She felt a pressure on the back of her neck, almost as if the door was staring at her. It eased up only after she had turned the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 3 – The Knight Before Christmas**

**Chapter 2**

"I think that went well." K.I.T.T told her. They were heading back to the compound. Kat was driving. She took things slow, going at a sedate 60mph, which was practically old lady speed for K.I.T.T.

They were moving through Missouri now, heading back to New Mexico. The road they were on was enclosed on both sides by tall, snow-covered trees.

"I know I messed up on a few things." Kat said ruefully.

"You're being too hard on yourself." K.I.T.T told her. "You'll see when you get your results."

"Maybe." Kat consented, though she had never been one for looking on the brighter side of things.

"By the way, I think those deer just passed us." K.I.T.T told her.

Kat rolled her eyes. "We can't try to break the sound barrier _every_ time we drive." She told him.

"No, but that _is_ more fun." K.I.T.T replied.

"I am having fun _not_ having a heart attack. You had your fun through Indiana and Illinois." Kat said.

"Fine, but I take over again in Oklahoma." K.I.T.T said.

"Nuh uh, you got two states, so I get two states." Kat argued.

"Indiana and Illinois were very small states." K.I.T.T countered.

"Only at the speed you were going. You're a highway cop's nightmare."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

Suddenly the windshield turned bright red and the steering wheel locked in her hands. A warning siren sounded inside of the cab. 'Incoming Attack' flashed across the windshield.

Before Kat could react, something hit them from the side. Whatever it was exploded on collision, becoming a huge fireball that threw the car up into the air like a toy. K.I.T.T flipped over twice before coming down on his front bumper. Then he flipped onto his side and slid across the blacktop with an earsplitting screech for about a hundred feet before finally settling back onto his wheels.

The car had completely turned around, so Kat could see the raging inferno in the middle of the road where they were attacked. She was very shaken, but unhurt. The trip through the air hadn't been fun for either the car or it's occupant.

"Are you all right?" They asked each other at the same time. Kat's voice was high with panic, K.I.T.T's was merely concerned.

He turned away from the fire and sped down the road. "Initiating evasive programming. Buckle up." Suddenly there were a lot more loose straps to her already buckled seatbelt. She busied herself with buckling them all, until she was in a kind of harness.

"What the hell was that?" Kat demanded.

"We were struck by a tactical missile of unknown make. Possibly custom in design. I didn't have enough time to run a complete scan." K.I.T.T told her quickly. "It originated from approximately three miles north-northwest of here."

"Why is someone attacking us?" Kat asked, more calmly. Her training was taking over. She put her hands back on the wheel as they shot down the road. Her reflexes still weren't fast enough to handle anything complicated, like turns, but as she drove more and more with K.I.T.T, they were developing a way to drive together, with her controlling for the most part, and he correcting her as needed.

"Again, that is unknown. They obviously know who we are, and what I am capable of."

Kat had to agree with that. People didn't normally shoot missiles at Camaros they didn't like. "Geez, who did we piss off?" She wondered.

"Whoever it was, they are very angry with us." K.I.T.T told her. "They've set up a roadblock up ahead."

The windshield zoomed in on the road ahead. About half a mile away there were two black vans turned to the side, blocking the entire road. Three men waited in front, rocket launchers at the ready.

Kat calculated the situation carefully. Trees were still crowded thick on both sides, and a sharp incline dropped off away from the road on the right. "No way to off-road it." She said. "We'll have to jump." She hit the Turbo Boost button. Blue fire erupted from Kit's rear bumper and the trees blurred.

The men on the left and the right both fired their rockets. The man in the middle stayed his hand. He watched them from behind dark glasses. K.I.T.T zoomed in on all three faces, committing them to his memory.

K.I.T.T dodged the two rockets. They exploded on either side of him and something clear splattered on the side windows and the hood. The force of the twin blasts nearly pushed them into the trees. They managed to get control just in time to make the jump. K.I.T.T angled the blue fire downward, and he shot into the air. They cleared the vans easily.

As they passed overhead, the man who had withheld his fire took action now. He fired his rocket right into K.I.T.T's underside. The explosion that followed completely engulfed the car in flames. They were pushed even higher into the air, flipping out of control. They fell back onto the road with an almighty crash.

K.I.T.T had managed to land on all four wheels. He drove away from the vans at max speed, swerving slightly in the beginning. Kat couldn't really see where they were going though, as every inch of the car's exterior seemed to be on fire. Though Kat supposed that the top could be clear, but she had no way to check.

"What was that they shot us with?" Kat asked.

"Those rockets were carrying a highly-concentrated combustible accelerant. It sprayed all over my exterior."

"Can you put it out?" Kat asked in concern. "Drive fast enough to smother it?"

"Negative. Depriving it of oxygen will not put it out. As the fuel burns, it produces it's own oxygen. We will just have to wait until it's fuel runs out."

"How long are we going to be on fire?" Kat asked, her eyebrows shooting up. "That's going to cause attention."

"I am using my GPS to stay on the back roads for now. This shouldn't last for more than half an hour." He told her. The concern in his voice was fading.

"Just stay out of the trees, we don't need to start a forest fire." Kat still felt uneasy, the interior of the car was lit bright orange by the fire that was just outside of the windows. One of which was only inches away from her. "Am I going to be okay in the meantime?" She asked. "I don't want to bake in here."

"My Molecular-Bonded Shell can withstand temperatures much higher than this." He assured her. "Though if you feel a little warm, I won't be offended if you remove your clothing."

Kat eyed his modulator. Had he been watching cheesy nighttime television behind her back? "No thank you, I'll just put up the AC." She assured him.

"There is that as well." K.I.T.T agreed. "I've informed Charles about the attack. He wants us back at the compound as soon as possible. He's taking a chopper and meeting us there."

"Fine, you can drive the rest of the way back." Kat granted him.

"He's also sent me your test results." K.I.T.T displayed them on the windshield.

For just a second the recent attack, and the fact that they were currently on fire, flew out of her mind. She took one look at her score and her heart plummeted.

********

Hours later, Kat sat at one of the empty desks in the main lab. She had her arms folded in front of her and her head buried in them. She moaned dejectedly.

"You did very well, all things considered." K.I.T.T told her.

"I failed miserably, how is that doing 'very well'?" She asked, her voice muffled by her arms.

"I have a lot of complicated programs and systems." K.I.T.T replied. "You've only had a couple of weeks to try and learn them all. I think you've done extremely well under the circumstances."

"Stop trying to make me feel better." Kat muttered.

K.I.T.T was silent. The light on his hood flowed back and forth irritably.

Angela leaned over the railing on the walkway above them, a mug with a snowman on it in her hand. She sipped at it as she spotted Kat below. She went down the stairs and looked K.I.T.T over. The glossy black Camaro was now matte black with ash. "You get into a fight?"

"You should see the other guy." K.I.T.T told her.

Angela's eyebrows raised, but she didn't comment. She prodded Kat's shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Charles sent us her test scores." K.I.T.T explained.

Angela took another sip of her cocoa. "That bad?"

"She got a 62." K.I.T.T answered.

"KITT!" Kat wailed, lifting her head up and glaring at the Camaro.

But Angela was ecstatic. "Really? That's great!"

"That's what I told her." K.I.T.T said.

Angela leaned down so she could look at Kat's face. "Wanna know a secret?" She asked. Kat nodded. "Sam got a 54 on his first test."

Kat's eyebrows raised. "He did?"

Angela nodded. "He told me himself."

Kat straightened up. Her expression was wondering. "Sam, a 54? _Sam_?"

Angela nodded again. She put a hand on Kat's shoulder. "Sweetie, you've done really well in just a few weeks. No one is expecting you to know and remember all of KITT's functions right away. I bet Pierce doesn't even remember them all." She looked into Kat's face. "You're doing a good job, really."

Kat's troubled expression cleared. She looked immensely relieved. "I guess you're right. Thank you, Angela." She said weakly.

"How is it that when you tell her that, she believes you immediately, but when I do, she tells me to shut up?" K.I.T.T asked irritably.

Angela turned to him. "You're a guy. That automatically makes you untrustworthy." She answered.

"Technically, I don't have a gender." He countered.

Angela shook her head. "You're still a guy where it counts."

K.I.T.T was silent for a moment. "...I'm confused."

But Kat was nodding. "No, she's right."

Angela smiled and took another sip of her cocoa. She passed the mug to Kat. "Here, this'll perk you up." She said.

Kat took a sip. "That's good." She said, brightening. "What's in it?"

"Scotch."

Kat passed the mug back to her. "Thanks."

Angela grinned. "Anytime."

Kat gave her a questioning look. "What are you doing down here anyway?"

"I came to annoy Pierce." She looked over at his empty desk. "Where is he?"

"David punished him for disobeying orders on the last mission." Kat told her. "It was all moot anyway, since the FBI was standing by, but he's still being punished."

Angela's eyebrows raised. "Punished? How?" She asked.

Kat scowled. "David put him on vacation for a week, effective immediately."

Angela cringed. "Pierce, not working? Ouch." Kat nodded. "He'll be up in his room then. I'll go wish him a Happy Hanukkah." She turned to go.

"Pierce is Jewish?" Kat asked.

"I have no idea." Angela answered as she headed for the metal staircase. "He told me he didn't celebrate Christmas, so I have been trying to guess since then."

Charles came down the stairs after Angela had left. "Yes, KITT? I got your email."

"Angela and Kat are confusing me." K.I.T.T told him irritably.

Charles nodded. "Women are often a confusing species." He turned to Kat and smiled. "They do tend to use that to their advantage."

If that had come from David, Kat would have been angry. But Charles had a healthy dose of respect in his voice, so she let it slide. "I have no idea what you are talking about." She said innocently, but ruined the facade when she grinned.

"Right now, we have a very grave matter to discuss." Charles reminded them. "That being: the identity of those who attacked you and KITT this morning."

K.I.T.T 's hood and windshield covered with soot, so he couldn't display anything. He sent the pictures of the three men up onto the big screen. The team had been working on discovering who the men were since they got back.

Kat stared up at the three men intently. "Do you recognize any of them?" Charles asked her.

"No, not really." Kat shook her head.

"You don't sound so sure." Charles said.

Kat's expression was puzzled. "It's strange... I feel like the middle one is familiar to me, but I know I have never seen that face before in my life." She studied his black hair and thin face closely. His black sunglasses hid his eyes completely. She shook her head again. "Nope, I don't know him."

Kai and Rei walked up then. "K.I.T.T's scan showed that there is a possibility that this man has had reconstructive surgery." Rei said.

"It could be possible that this man's target was not KITT, but Katherine." Kai added.

Kat shivered. "I don't have any enemies." She said, rubbing her upper arms with her hands.

"That you know of." K.I.T.T pointed out.

"No." Kat shook her head. "I would know if someone out there hated me this much. Trust me. They have to be after KITT, for whatever reasons." She turned to Kai and Rei. "Have you found anything out on who they are?"

"The men to the left and right are well known mercenaries." Kai said.

"Well known in more underground circles, of course." Rei added.

Kat nodded. "And the man in the middle?"

The twins shook their heads at the same time. "Nothing." They said together.

Charles mused worriedly. "I dislike this situation more and more." He looked at K.I.T.T. "I want you to be very careful from now on. With your weapon's systems disabled, you are vulnerable."

"Oh, I am not going to run away like that again." Kat's hands clenched into fists. There was fire and venom in her voice. "The next time someone attacks us, we'll be ready. I'll learn Attack Mode if it kills me."

"I'll try very hard not to let it." K.I.T.T assured her.

But Kat was staring at Charles determinedly. Charles smiled wryly. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a thick book. "Then you had better start as soon as possible."

Kat took the book grimly. "More reading. Yay."

"Merry Christmas." Charles said sadly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 3 – The Knight Before Christmas**

Author's Note: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had a good one. For a Christmas treat I am giving my fans my first scene of gratuitous fanservice! Since I have only gotten reviews from my male fans so far, I am catering to them. If I have any female fans, please let me know so I can have equal opportunity fanservice!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the music in this fic. I am not making money off of this fic. There, a nice blanket disclaimer I can use for all future occasions!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

"_Por amor de dios!_" Carmen exclaimed when she saw K.I.T.T. "KITT, what happened to you?"

"Missile." K.I.T.T answered.

"Several." Kat corrected, not looking up from her reading.

Carmen looked back and forth between them, her hands on her hips. "Okay, bath, now." She said sternly.

K.I.T.T rolled silently off his circle and through a huge doorway behind Carmen's workstation. Kat looked up from her reading. She couldn't help but smile. "He's just like a little kid."

Carmen waved her hand. "Nah, he likes it, it's fun. Come and help, you need some cheering up."

But Kat was already reading again. She shook her head. "No thank you, I really have to learn this-" She was interrupted as Carmen grabbed her by the back of her vest and hauled her out of her seat. The book slipped from her hands and fell onto the desk, snapping shut.

Carmen was a lot stronger than a woman a head and a half shorter than Kat had any right to be. Kat wondered what she was hiding under her coveralls. "When I say you need cheering up, you get cheered up, _comprende_?"

Kat tried struggling out of Carmen's grasp, but couldn't find a way to do so with dignity. "Uh..._ si_?" She said weakly.

"That's right." Carmen finally released her, allowing Kat to straighten up to her full height.

They were in a white-tiled room. Two large drains were set into the floor. K.I.T.T stood over them. Various hoses were hung up along one wall. "Huh..." Kat said in bemusement. "I would think that with KITT's budget, you'd have an automatic car wash here."

"Please!" Carmen shook her head. "This is much more fun. And those automatic washers can never get a car fully clean." She smiled grimly. "The best things are done by hand." Kat raised an eyebrow at her.

Carmen unzipped the top half of her coveralls, revealing a black sports bra underneath. She shrugged her arms out of the sleeves and tied them around her waist. She reached up and tightened her ponytail. "Might want to take off that vest, and that special shirt Pierce gave you." She told Kat.

Kat unzipped her vest. She pulled it off, and her shirt, leaving her dark green tank top. She left her dog tags on and stashed everything out of the way. Then she walked back over to Carmen. "Okay, what do I do?" She asked.

Carmen handed her a hose. "Soap first, of course. Get on the other side, we'll see if we can get this crud off him."

Kat moved around to K.I.T.T's other side, near the Driver's door. She was amazed by how different Carmen looked under her coveralls. The baggy gray material hadn't given her much shape.

Carmen was extremely fit underneath. Tight, toned muscle stood out under her tanned skin. Her abs were well-defined on her flat stomach. Her breasts were high and firm.

Kat had to admit that she didn't cut so impressive a figure. She was tall, for one thing. That automatically put her on the thin side. She had muscle, but it was a wiry kind of strength. Her skin was a milky white that burned easily. With dark hair and dark eyes she was also the complete opposite of blond, blue-eyed Sam.

Kat wasn't one for self-esteem issues, she was just a pessimist. She knew she had her good points. She just didn't really go on about them much.

Soon, the two of them had K.I.T.T covered with white foam. Then they scrubbed him down. Kat noticed that Carmen was being extremely thorough, making sure that no trace of the soot was left.

Meanwhile, they had gathered a small audience by the door. A few of Carmen's mechanics were loitering, watching the two women work.

One of them was tall, and tanned like Carmen. He had dark eyes that had that smoldering look to them that made women weak. His black hair was chin-length and curly. It always had a wet look to it as well. He wore the standard gray coveralls. A tag on his chest read 'Enrique'.

The small group was growing slightly larger as two of Pierce's technicians joined the mechanics. Kai was one of them. Rei frowned at him from her desk.

They watched as Carmen turned the water hose on Kat, who shrieked indignantly. A full-blown water fight ensued. Enrique turned to Kai. "It's a shame Pierce isn't allowed down here." He grinned, showing off a set of brilliantly white teeth.

"Such a shame." Kai agreed, not taking his eyes off of the two women.

A young man joined them. He peered around the group, trying to see what they were all staring at. Enrique glanced over at him. This guy was new.

The young man caught Enrique's glance. "Uhm... Hello." He said a little nervously. "My name's Ian. I'm new here. I work for Pierce. Do you know where he is?"

"He'll be up in his quarters." Enrique said, then turned back to Kat and Carmen.

The other mechanics and technicians slowly drifted back to their work, leaving Enrique and Ian there. "I guess I'll go find him..." Ian said distantly. He didn't move though, as he had caught sight of the water fight.

Enrique glanced at him again. He straightened up to his full height, which was considerably taller than that of the young man. "You know that's my _Tia_ you're ogling." He said roughly.

Ian nearly jumped. "Oh, I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to stare at your girlfriend." He mumbled nervously.

Enrique frowned at him. He had his arms crossed over his chest. "_Tia_ means 'Aunt'."

Ian looked incredibly nervous. "Sorry again." He said. He took a step back, as if he feared violence on Enrique's part.

Enrique stared at him for a moment. Then his face broke out into a grin. "Welcome aboard, Ian." He said, slapping Ian on the back.

Ian coughed a bit from the force of Enrique's blow. "Thanks." He croaked. He relaxed a bit. "So, that's KITT, huh?" He nodded to the Camaro. His eyes had a longing in them that was not unlike how he looked at Carmen and Kat.

"_Si_." Enrique answered. He gave Ian a bemused look. "You just start today?"

Ian shook his head. "I started last week, but Pierce wouldn't let me in the main lab. I finished the work he gave me, and when he didn't come back to pile more on me, I went to look for him." He looked around. "When do I get to meet KITT's Driver? I bet he's such a badass."

Enrique chuckled. "She's right there." He said, pointing at Kat.

Kat was soaked at this point. She pushed her wet hair out of her face, laughing. Ian stared at her, his mouth falling open. "Wow..." He breathed. "This is the best job ever."

Enrique looked amused. He patted Ian on the shoulder. "I gotta get back to work, seeya around."

"Okay, enough playing around." Kat told Carmen. She was grinning. "I really do have to get back to work, let's finish up."

"Fine." Carmen was smiling too, she was also soaked.

Kat turned her hose back on K.I.T.T. "You've been quiet, for a change." She commented.

"I've been listening to the radio. They are playing Christmas songs and I wanted to know more about what Christmas was. I was confused by the Wikipedia article."

"Oh really? What are you listening to now?" Kat asked.

'Santa Baby' filled the tile room. Kat and Carmen laughed. "You're not going to find out much about Christmas from that song." Carmen told him.

"Try John Lennon's 'So This is Christmas'." Kat told him. "That's the kind of schmaltz Christmas is about."

"Hey, I like that song." Carmen said defensively.

"I do too, but that doesn't mean it's not schmaltz." Kat told her. She went back to hosing soap off of K.I.T.T. "Just wait till later on, KITT, you'll get to watch us strange humans set a plastic tree ablaze."

One spot wasn't come clean. She ran the hose over it again. When it remained, she bent her head close and peered at it. She blinked in surprise. She ran two fingers over the large spot eaten into K.I.T.T's black paint.

She directed the hose all down his side, revealing more missing paint. How had that happened? During the attack? They had scraped up the highway pretty good, but there were no scratch marks on K.I.T.T, just these irregular spots of paint missing. Had the fire eaten away at it?

If she remembered her reading correctly, K.I.T.T's layering went: Molecular-Bonded Shell, coat of glossy black paint, nano-skin. The nano-skin should have protected the paint from the fire, unless...

"Carmen." Kat leaned over K.I.T.T's hood to talk low to the other woman.

Carmen looked at her and turned off her hose. "Yeah?"

"Is KITT's nano-skin weak to fire?" Kat whispered anxiously.

Carmen nodded. "It's fine though, I'll repaint him and redo the skin, he'll be all right. His shell can stand up to fire pretty well."

Kat frowned worriedly. She didn't like thinking of K.I.T.T as vulnerable. She rubbed a spot on his hood where the paint had been burned away.

"Your sentiment is touching, but unnecessary." K.I.T.T said in an amused voice. "Carmen is right, I'll be fine."

"I guess so. If this is the worst that comes out of a scrape with four missiles." Kat said. She sighed heavily. "I have work to do, I'm going to go get changed." She gathered up her things and exited the tiled room.

She swept past Ian without even noticing him and headed up the metal staircase. Before she could pass David's office, the door opened and he stepped out. Kat stopped in her tracks. Great.

He was typing something on his Blackberry. She waited for him to pass so she could go up to her quarters. She wanted to get into some dry clothes. He glanced at her briefly, then did a double-take. He frowned disapprovingly at her chest. "Those have to go." He said.

Kat's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

He walked up to her and took her dog tags in his hand. "These, you should not be wearing them." He said.

Kat took a step back, but he just pulled them over her head. "Give those back!" She said indignantly.

He held them up. "This is not who you are anymore." He said sternly. "What is the point in creating a new identity for you if you are going to wear something like this and disregard it?"

Kat gritted her teeth. Her dog tags were a part of her. They were a link to her old life. A life she had given up.

"You're such an ass." She said acidly. She marched past him and out of the main lab.

He stared after her, then looked at the dog tags in his hand, scowling. He shoved them in his pocket and walked down to Charles' office.

********

Katherine changed into a pair of jeans and a red turtleneck. The clothes that had been provided for her fit her perfectly fine. The problem with them was that they were all new. She missed her worn, thirteen-year-old jeans that had been washed so many times they were nearly white and felt like silk when she slipped them on.

Angela was in the room, rooting through a box of what looked like red and gold tinsel. "I'm decorating the kitchen and rec room." She told Kat. She pulled something out of the box. "Here take this, I only have the one left."

Kat reached out and took it automatically. She turned it over in her hand. It was a bundle of dried mistletoe and holly tied up with a ribbon. "What do I need this for?" She asked Angela with a smile.

"Luck." Angela said simply.

Kat gave her a dubious look. "Luck?"

Angela gave her an expectant look in return. Kat laughed. "I don't think I will be getting lucky for Christmas." She told her.

Angela shrugged. "Keep it anyway, I'm sure you'll find a use for it." She went back to her rummaging

"If you say so." Kat said, though she was amused. She looked at the mistletoe and holly and felt a sudden pang in her chest. She left quickly before Angela could notice the change in her expression.

*******

Kat returned to the main lab. She grabbed her book off of the desk and walked over to K.I.T.T. The smell of car paint was in the air. "Open up." She told him, not wanting to touch him.

He opened his door for her and she slipped into the driver's seat. "I really need to get through this as soon as possible." She said, holding up the book. "Make sure no one bothers me." She told him.

"Am I allowed to use my grappling hook on anyone that tries?" He asked.

"If you have to."

Kat looked down at the mistletoe and holly that was still in her hand. Impulsively, she reached up and tied it to K.I.T.T's rear view mirror. "What is the purpose of that?" K.I.T.T asked her.

"Maybe you'll get lucky." Kat shrugged, smiling a little. "Can't hurt, can it?"

"I suppose not." K.I.T.T sounded bemused.

Kat searched for her place in the book and fell into reading at once.


	4. Chapter 4

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 3 – The Knight Before Christmas**

**Chapter 4**

F.L.A.G Underground Facility

"Kat, David is outside." K.I.T.T told her,

Kat didn't even glance up. "Use the grappling hook."

"He's here to authorize and unlock my Attack Mode."

Kat mumbled something incoherent. "He _has_ to come inside?" She asked.

"Technically, he could interact with my exterior, but he needs to give you your instructions as well."

"Fine." Kat said testily. "Open the door."

K.I.T.T opened the passenger door and David stepped inside. "Initiate Unlocking Protocol." He said before he was fully seated. He looked like he wanted to be there about as much as Kat wanted him there.

A panel fired up on each of K.I.T.T's side windows. "Place your hand on there, and tell Three Thousand to disable it's Safety Mode." David instructed.

Kat looked puzzled. "Safety Mode?" There had been a vague reference to that in Pierce's book.

David sighed. "In order for me to authorize Attack Mode, you have to disable Three Thousand's safety features. As the Driver, you are the only one who can disable it. I am the only one who can authorize Attack Mode, but I need you to allow me to." He said impatiently.

Kat understood what he was saying. There was a kind of checks and balances system when it came to K.I.T.T. This way David couldn't just disable K.I.T.T's safety features on his own, and Katherine couldn't turn on Attack Mode whenever she pleased and go on a rampage somewhere. And no one else could activate Attack Mode either.

Kat placed her hand on the window. A red line swept over her hand and her picture appeared next to it. "Uh... KITT, disable Safety Mode." She told him.

"Safety Mode disabled." K.I.T.T said tonelessly. Kat remembered what K.I.T.T had told her, that David didn't like it when he talked.

Kat looked around, but there was no apparent sign that K.I.T.T's safety features had been disabled. Kat wondered if anyone would be able to open K.I.T.T's doors right now.

She also wondered if she should remove her hand from the window, she was starting to feel a little silly. She decided to wait until David said something.

David placed his hand on the window. K.I.T.T scanned his hand as well, and a picture of David appeared next to it. "Unlock Attack Mode, Authorization number: 697-493-756-839-6386." As David recited the numbers easily from memory, they appeared above his hand. When he was finished, they all glowed green.

"Attack Mode Enabled." K.I.T.T said.

David removed his hand and turned back to her. "Enable Safety Mode." He told her.

"KITT, Enable Safety Mode." Her hand was scanned again.

"Safety Mode Enabled." K.I.T.T replied. He reopened the passenger door so David could get out.

But David had noticed the mistletoe and holly attached to K.I.T.T's mirror. He was frowning lightly. Kat was suddenly worried he would tear it off. "Is mistletoe illegal now?" She asked him harshly.

David shrugged. "No." He exited the Camaro.

"Good riddance." Kat mumbled as K.I.T.T closed the door. She leaned back in her seat and groaned. She tossed the book aside in disgust. Her brain felt too full to stuff anything else into it right now.

There was just so much crowding her mind, both important and annoying. There was what happened to Sam, the attack from earlier, learning Attack Mode. If that wasn't enough, there was also David's attitude, and...

Kat eyed the mistletoe, feeling that pang in her chest. Oh yeah, that too.

"You look a bit dejected." K.I.T.T commented.

"I think I'm just lonely." Kat told him. She sounded grumpy.

"There are 27 people working in the compound." K.I.T.T told her.

Kat shook her head. "I don't think I can explain it to you." She groaned again. "I miss Daniel."

"That name is unfamiliar, so I will assume you mean someone from your former existence."

"I think Daniel was my boyfriend." Kat said.

"You're not sure?" K.I.T.T sounded confused.

"Well, we didn't really see each other all that much, he just came by whenever-" Kat paused, glancing at K.I.T.T's Modulator. "just every now and then. I'm not even sure if it's him I miss, or... just _someone_." She exhaled in a big gust and scowled. "Dammit, holidays always bring this sentimental crap out in me."

"Would it help if I told you that I understood?" K.I.T.T asked.

Kat nearly laughed. "I don't think you _can_ understand."

"Your exact circumstances are a mystery to me, yes. But would it help you if I told you that I know what loneliness is like?"

Kat sat up a little straighter. She was frowning. "KITT, you are surrounded by people who absolutely adore you, who think you are the most awesome thing that has ever existed. You are the most spoiled car in the entire world. How would you know about loneliness?"

K.I.T.T was silent. All of the lights on his dash, the windshield, even the overhead lights, went out. He blacked all of the windows, plunging his interior into darkness.

Kat felt her skin crawl at the sudden blackness. Her senses were immediately ultra alert. Her eyes and ears were desperately trying to sense something. "KITT?" She said softly. Had she offended him?

"When I woke up for the very first time, I didn't appreciate being aware. I was busy calculating every infinitesimal thing about my environment, inside and outside of my body. I realized that there was a difference to being aware and unaware. That before I was unaware, and now I am aware. There was too much for me to learn, I needed to stay aware to learn it all. My first decisive action was to prevent myself from becoming unaware again."

"What do you mean?" Kat asked. She was a little weirded out by all of this. Okay, a lot weirded out.

"My CPU Core runs on it's own power system, a generator. It only needs that first spark of electricity to activate it, then it can run for three years without needing any outside power. When I am shut down, there is a switch in my programming that shuts down my CPU Core as well. The first thing I did was disable that switch."

"How were you able to do that?" Kat asked. She was entranced by the car's story. He had never told her anything like this before, something about himself, about the way he thought and perceived the world around him.

"There was never anything implemented in my programming to stop me." K.I.T.T answered. "It has never occurred to Charles that I could or would do that. Even now, he doesn't know. My systems can all be shut down, but my CPU Core is always aware."

K.I.T.T went on. "Before I met Sam, I was only active for hours at a time. The rest of the time, I was confined in Charles' lab. I couldn't interact with any of my functions, or even sense anything that happened to my body. I was completely cut off from myself."

Kat understood the darkness now. This had been K.I.T.T's whole world. Not connected to anything, unable to see, hear, or speak. A brilliant, super fast AI with nothing but itself to keep it occupied. She shivered.

The lights immediately came back on and the windows turned clear again. Light flooded the interior. "I didn't meant to frighten you." K.I.T.T said at once. "I just wanted to show you that I understand something about loneliness." He sounded like he had done something wrong.

"I'm fine." Kat said a little shakily. "I wasn't scared. I was just thinking... about how that must have felt to you."

"I don't feel things the way you do." K.I.T.T told her. "I wasn't afraid, or anxious, or troubled. I was just by myself."

Kat nodded. "Yeah. K.I.T.T, how come you never told Charles or Pierce about this?"

"Why would I?" K.I.T.T asked.

Kat gave his modulator a sympathetic look. "It's something they would want to know."

"They've never asked anything regarding it." K.I.T.T told her.

"That's because they don't realize that they should."

K.I.T.T was silent for a brief moment. "I'll send Charles an email."

"Wait." Kat stopped him. "Not like that. Later on, after we've settled things with whoever attacked us. Charles has enough to worry about right now."

"All right then. I'll save the draft to memory." Of course it had only taken him seconds to draft an email.

Kat's mind went back to earlier that day. So much was happening all at once, and now people were randomly shooting them with missiles and rockets.

She could only puzzle over who would attack K.I.T.T. Other than having some pretty mean weapons and organizational skills, they didn't seem exceptional. They hadn't followed K.I.T.T after they set him on fire. Then again, few things could catch K.I.T.T when he wanted to get away.

How had they found them in the first place though? To all outward appearances, K.I.T.T was just a Camaro, as long as he wasn't doing something like jumping vans or going into Pursuit Mode. A really nice, flashy Camaro, but nothing more than that, appearance wise.

Kat had just taken the fastest route back to F.L.A.G. How had they known she would be there when she hadn't even known herself until she had plotted out the route on the GPS? And that was right after they left Base2...

Ice settled in her stomach. Her eyes widened. "I'm an idiot!" She exclaimed.

"Kat, what-"

"Don't you see?" She said quickly, talking over K.I.T.T. "The ones that attacked us are the same ones that killed Sam!"

K.I.T.T thought that over briefly. "It's probable. But we don't know that for certain." He said.

But Kat was sure, it made so much sense that way. "They do have a grudge against me! Someone is after your drivers, KITT. I need another reason to go back to Base2. There is something there. They must have left something behind."

"Well, you do have to take the test again." K.I.T.T reminded her. That was the good thing about K.I.T.T. He rolled with the punches pretty well.

"I need to be by myself though." Kat answered. "That way I can check out that sealed up room. I think that's where Sam died. I mean, why else would it be sealed off like that?" She thought for a moment. "Do you know what kind of authorization I need to get into Base2?" Kat asked him.

"As a level E employee of Knight Industries, you do not need any authorization." K.I.T.T told her. "You are allowed at Base2 at any time. The security is more lax there than it is here."

Kat nodded. "That's probably why they went after him there. There is no way they would have been able to get to Sam here. David watches everyone like a hawk."

"You do, however, need David's permission to leave the facility with me." K.I.T.T continued, as if Kat hadn't spoken over him.

Kat leaned back and mused for a bit. "I wonder if Charles has a car I can borrow..."

The circle K.I.T.T stood on lowered into the floor. Kat straightened up in her seat. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Do you really think I am going to just let you drive around in some inferior car? Especially if someone is trying to kill you." K.I.T.T asked her. "You have no choice but to steal me."

Kat laughed grimly. "Can you steal the willing?" She asked him. "You want to leave right now?"

"David is not at the facility at the moment."

"So... perfect time to do some snooping around?" Kat guessed.

"You said it, not me."

Kat laughed again, taking the wheel. "Okay fine. KITT, I'm stealing you and running off to Base2 to find out what happened to Sam."

"Gasp." K.I.T.T said dully. "I had not foreseen such mutiny in you, Katherine. But I have no choice but to obey. You _are_ my Driver."

Kat shook her head. "How much did my brother corrupt you in the six months he spent with you?" She asked.

"I learned a few things." K.I.T.T hedged. "I miss Sam too, you know."

Kat nodded. "You want to find out what happened as much as I do."

"Given that your theory is true, there is a seventy-five percent chance we will be attacked again." K.I.T.T told her.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Kat told him easily.

The light on the modulator flared indignantly, but K.I.T.T, for once, didn't have a retort.

********

K.I.T.T had been right. It was ridiculously easy to get into Base2. She just showed the front desk the ID Card she had gotten from Charles and she was in.

Kat sprinted down the halls. She turned a corner and saw two men walking in her direction. Kat slowed down to a walk, trying to keep calm while she passed them. They were talking and didn't pay much attention to her. She picked up speed again when she rounded the next corner.

She wandered down a few more hallways, but by this time she was hopelessly turned around. "God dammit, where is it?" She asked.

"If you are talking about the sealed off room, take a left at the end of the hallway." K.I.T.T said in her ear.

She stopped in her tracks. "You've known where it was this whole time?" She asked in disbelief.

"Of course. I saw it when you did."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked as she continued down the hall. "And don't say because I didn't ask!"

"Well, you didn't." K.I.T.T said irritably. "I thought you knew where it was."

Kat turned the corner and spotted the door. She ran lightly over to it. She stood in front of it, and paused to catch her breath.

She inhaled deeply and calmed herself. Her heart was beating a tattoo against her ribcage. She reached one hand out for the covered doorknob.

"I knew you were going to end up here eventually."

Kat whirled around. Her heart jumped up into her throat and she made a strangled gasping noise.

David was leaning against the wall behind her, his hands in his pants pockets. His dark eyes were disapproving. His face was hard, cold.

Kat said the first thing that came to her. "Where the hell did you come from?"

David pushed against the wall, straightening up. He nodded to the door on his right. "I've been waiting here for a bit. Ever since Charles took you past this door I knew you would come back. He did that on purpose, you know."

"Charles wants to help me." Kat's eyes narrowed. "He knows that I want to find out what happened to Sam. This is where he died, isn't it?"

"Knowing what happened to your brother will not help you." David told her. His voice had a venomous edge to it. "The only thing that can help you is leaving right now."

Kat stood her ground. "Whatever it is behind that door, I can take it." She said firmly. "I want to know the truth."

David was getting angry, his voice rose. "Going into that room will not help you find any sort of truth! You think I am hiding something from you, but what you don't understand is that there is nothing to hide! The only thing in there is a dead end!"

"It's the only thing I have to go on." Kat told him firmly.

David looked like he was contemplating physical violence. He managed to get control of himself. "This is not your job." He told her sternly. "Your job is to go through the Missions. My job is to look after my employees."

Kat crossed her arms over her chest. "Not doing a very good job of that, are you?" She said icily.

David's hand gripped into a fist. He breathed in sharply through his nose. "Fine." he said tightly. "Go ahead. Look." He walked past her, over to the door and ripped the yellow tape off. He reached for the knob and opened the door. It swung inwards. He gestured for her to turn and look.

Kat turned slowly, not sure what to expect. She had never expected anything like what she saw.

The room was normal enough, if a little small. A bed against one wall, a desk opposite it. There was a TV mounted on the wall. The walls were a light grey and the floor was blue linoleum.

Dark brown stains covered everything.

Kat drew in a sharp breath, her eyes widening. She took a step forward, into the room. David put an arm out, barring her way. "I'm trying to preserve evidence, no one enters this room." He said quietly. He watched her expression intently.

Kat tore her eyes away from the grisly scene with difficulty. "What happened to him?" She asked David. "How did this happen? How could you possibly say that this was an accident?"

"I told everyone it was an accident, because I don't know what went on in this room. I do not know what happened here." He said severely. "The Team needs to focus on their work, not unanswered questions."

"How do you not know what happened?" Kat demanded.

"Sam's killer wasn't thoughtful enough to leave a body behind." David replied frostily. "Or evidence."

Kat was taken by surprise. "There's no body?" She asked. "Then how do you know that Sam's dead?" She was feeling angry again. "He could be alive somewhere, trapped and hurt!"

"Are you blind?" David looked at her like she was simple. He pointed back into the room. "Have you seen the floor, the bed, the desk, the walls, the _ceiling_? No one loses that much blood and lives."

Kat was shaking her head. "It could be a trick of some kind, diluting the blood with plasma-"

"And you don't think I have thought of that? That was the first thing we checked for."

"Someone could have been bleeding him out for weeks, or months before kidnapping him." Kat tried again. "If they drugged him and did it while he was asleep, he wouldn't even notice."

David rubbed the bridge of his nose as if he was in pain. "Sam was only here for two days." He told her. "The rest of the time, he was back at the compound, sharing a room with Pierce. When was anyone supposed to have stolen his blood?"

That stopped her. He dropped his hand and gave her a questioning look. "I don't know." Kat said.

"He's dead, Katherine." David said firmly. There was no remorse in his eyes, just bare fact. "No one knows how it happened, or why. Nothing on the cameras, no blood in the hallway, no evidence anywhere. I have personally questioned every single employee working here, no one saw anything. The only thing that is certain is that Samuel Long is dead."

Kat inhaled sharply. Her chest felt tight, like it was being squeezed. She stood there and stared at David blankly.

He sighed heavily. "Go take Three Thousand back to the compound before I suspend you for stealing it."

Kat took a step away from the door. David closed it. He hadn't slammed it, but the sound still echoed sharply down the empty hall. Kat flinched at the sound.

David escorted her back to K.I.T.T. K.I.T.T opened the Driver's door automatically and Kat slid into the seat. David held onto the door before it could close. She looked up at him.

"If you ever do anything like this again, if you even step out of line _once_, I am giving the both of you a week's suspension." David warned gravely, his tone deceptively soft. "Total separation, do you understand me? Your implant will be deactivated. No driving, no communicating in any way."

Kat nodded. "I understand." She said quietly. David shut the door and stalked back into the building.


	5. Chapter 5

**Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 3 – The Knight Before Christmas**

**Chapter 5**

Kat sat numbly in the Driver's seat and stared blankly at the steering wheel. She closed her eyes, but Sam's room was plastered on the other side of her eyelids.

Meanwhile, K.I.T.T pulled out of the parking lot. "Seatbelt." He reminded her.

She opened her eyes and slowly buckled her seatbelt. A screen flared up on the windshield. It was Sam's room again, exactly as she had seen it. "What are you doing, KITT?" She asked dully.

"Analyzing the room." K.I.T.T replied. "I thought you would want to do that together."

She looked at the picture for a long moment. The corners of her eyes pricked, like she wanted to cry, but didn't have any tears. "Is David right?" She asked. "Is there no chance that Sam is alive?"

"If Sam really did lose the amount of blood shown here, then he is dead." K.I.T.T told her.

"Can you think of a way that someone could have faked his death?" She asked.

"Negative, I don't have any reference for that kind of situation." He replied. He moved out onto the highway, driving at the usual breakneck speed. It was nighttime, but there was still plenty of traffic.

Kat glanced at the speedometer. "KITT, slow down, you're going to kill someone."

"The chance of me hitting someone is highly unlikely." He retorted, but slowed down.

"Not everyone's reflexes are as good as yours." She reminded him. "And there are a lot of nuts out on the roads." She put her hands on the wheel. "I'll take over for a bit. I need something to do."

As she drove, she eyed the display of Sam's room every now and then, which K.I.T.T had left up. He indicated, for her benefit, what parts he was analyzing by zooming in on some detail or other. "Find anything of interest?"

"Negative." K.I.T.T said. "I can find no physical evidence. No footprints in the blood. No hair or clothing fibers that are visible from the angle you were at. No signs of a struggle. Nothing is out of place."

Kat frowned. There was something odd about what K.I.T.T had said. She glanced at the picture again. Under the blood, everything seemed perfectly fine. And yet, incredibly wrong at the same time.

"It's too neat." She said suddenly. "That room doesn't look lived in. Especially for Sam. Even if he'd only been there two days, the bed should at least look rumpled. He never bothers making it."

"Sam was never very tidy." K.I.T.T agreed. Kat wondered how many empty soda cans and gum wrappers had been excavated out of K.I.T.T by Carmen over the course of six months.

"David might not pick up on that either, if he doesn't know Sam's personal habits." Kat said. "Which, I don't think he's the type to take the time." She was getting excited again. Here was something... But what? "What does it mean though?"

"Something." K.I.T.T said unhelpfully. Kat shot an exasperated look at the stereo that housed his Modulator.

A van ahead of them was going below the speed limit, which to K.I.T.T would be 'unbearably slow'. Kat tried to maneuver around it, but found a red coupe in her way on the right. She looked to the left. A black sedan was next to her, driving so close, it was in danger of entering her lane. She looked to the right again, the coupe was edging closer as well.

"KITT, something tells me we're about to get attacked again." She said. She checked the rear view mirror. Another van was right on their rear bumper. Great, they weren't getting out of this without taking someone with them.

K.I.T.T scanned the four vehicles, displaying the data on his windshield. He closed the display of Sam's room for space. The two vans only had one driver each. There was a passenger and a driver in both of the smaller cars.

"Options." Kat said tensely as the windows of the cars on either side of her rolled down. "EMPulse?"

"If we take out the front van, we'll crash into it." K.I.T.T replied.

"You can't take out one of the side cars?" Kat asked quickly. She glanced at the cars nervously.

"My EMPulse is on my hood."

Kat swore. She glanced right and left. From each of the cars on either side of them, some sort of weapon was poking out of the open windows. Kat knew that bullets would have no effect on K.I.T.T's Molecular-Bonded Shell, that's if they got through the nano-skin, but these weapons didn't look like they shot bullets.

"I don't like the looks of this." Kat said. "I'm sorry KITT, we'll have to cause an accident." She turned into the red coupe, smashing into it's side. K.I.T.T was, of course, unharmed, but the ordinary metal of the coupe crumpled like paper.

Both weapons fired. Something shot from the barrel of each and attached to K.I.T.T. A wire trailed from each projectile, back to the guns. Kat pushed the red coupe aside, right off the highway. The wire connecting them snapped.

Suddenly, the wheel in her hands jerked and K.I.T.T swerved wildly. She struggled with it, but couldn't bring it back under control. "KITT! What's happening?" She asked.

K.I.T.T answered her, but in no way that was coherent. It all came out as a jumbled mess. Kat's eyes widened as she watched his Modulator go crazy.

The Camaro swerved wildly again, just narrowly missing a silver SUV in the other lane. Kat gripped the wheel as hard as she could, turning it in the other direction. She jammed her foot on the brakes, but they didn't respond.

Screens began popping up on K.I.T.T's windshield, but they were just filled with random numbers and letters. "KITT! Get a hold of yourself!" Kat said urgently.

The Camaro shot forward, away from the vans and the remaining car. The second wire snapped, but K.I.T.T was still unresponsive. And they were weaving erratically through traffic that was going much slower than they were.

"KITT! Stop!" Kat yelled as she struggled with the wheel. They missed hitting a convertible by a hair.

K.I.T.T responded with a string of random numbers, spoken extremely fast. Then there was a high pitched squeal that reverberated in her ears, making her hunch over and gasp in pain. Darkness swam over her eyes and she fainted.

K.I.T.T drove off of the highway and abruptly shut down. The noise ceased.

********

Kat's heart was beating frantically. Her ears rang. She shook her head, trying to clear it. What the hell had just happened?

There was a dull pounding in her head. She opened her eyes slowly. Had she passed out? For how long?

Movement to her left startled her. She jumped, turning to it.

The pounding hadn't been coming from her head. Someone was on the other side of K.I.T.T's door, going at the window with a sledgehammer. Kat recognized one of the mercenaries from earlier that day.

She stared at him, for a second, but he might as well have been using a paper fan for all the damage he was doing, or not doing, to the window.

Kat regained control of herself. "KITT?" She asked. The dash was dark and unresponsive. "KITT!" She smacked her hand down on top of the dash, but there was still no response. The interior remained dark.

She took in her surroundings. She was about fifty yards away from the highway, and any help it might offer. One of the black vans was parked next to her, hiding K.I.T.T from the highway.

The other black van pulled up about twenty feet in front of her. The back doors opened and two men stepped out. Probably the ones from the red coupe K.I.T.T had disabled. The driver's door opened, and the unknown man from earlier stepped out.

Kat felt a shiver go down her spine just looking at him. He was tall and thin and dressed all in black. Black jeans, shirt, and a leather jacket. Even his gloves were black leather. His pale, thin face was unemotional, his eyes shadowed behind his black sunglasses. She found it odd that he wore them even though it was the dead of night.

The man walked over. He was saying something to the mercenary with the sledgehammer. The merc put down the hammer and stepped away from the door. The man continued talking as he walked up to the door. He put one gloved hand on the handle and opened it easily.

Kat's eyes widened in shock. She undid her seatbelt quickly and scrambled backwards to the other seat. "I didn't know it was unlocked." The merc muttered as he stepped forward to grab Kat.

Kat didn't follow the rules of the Damsels-in-Distress very well though. She kicked at the man hard. Her boot connected solidly with his face and he reeled back, stumbling away from the car.

The door behind her opened then and she was dragged out of K.I.T.T by the other two men from the van. She fought back violently. She kicked one of the men in the groin and he doubled over in pain. The other man had her from behind. She thrust her head back, into his face. His grip on her arms slackened and she ran for it.

She knew that she had only caught them by surprise. They had underestimated her, seeing her as weaker because she was a driver, or because she was a woman. She was going to take what advantages she could.

A loud _ping!_ Came from behind and her left leg buckled. She fell to the ground hard. Fiery pain shot down her leg. She clutched at it, gasping. She looked down at it and saw thick, warm blood flowing out of the wound in her thigh and over her hand.

The man in black walked over to her calmly, gun drawn. She scrambled back, trying to get to her feet. Her leg wouldn't support her weight. She slipped and fell on her back.

The man was standing right over her. His three companions had recovered by now. One of them ran over. He grabbed Kat roughly by the arm. Panic had set in and Kat fought back desperately as adrenaline flooded her veins. She shoved the heel of her hand into the man's nose. The other two mercenaries came over to help.

They overpowered her and she found herself lying face first on the ground. One of the men held her arms behind her, one knee pressed into her back, keeping her pinned as she screamed and fought. She felt something cold and hard press against the back of her head.

It was the dead of the night, as dark as pitch. She was too far from the highway for anyone to see or hear her. There was no one who could help...

She was dead.

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
